Sharp Aquos 1080p D62 LCDs now shipping

A reader dropped us a line that Sharp has sent out emails to prospective buyers informing them that its new 1080p 52-, 46- and 42-inch LCDs should be on store shelves near you, if not already, then very very soon. Best Buy, Crutchfield and Circuit City are among the stores listed as stocking the screens, and seem to be selling them at about a $200 discount off the MSRPs originally announced. The Aquos line has had a good reputation, and the 52-inch LC-52D62U was just pointed out by BusinessWeek as its favorite new HDTV. Still, you may want to take a long look at test patterns before laying down the cash as some early purchasers at AVSForum are complaining of banding and color washout issues. The complaints appear to be limited to some of the 52-inch and 46-inch LC-46D62U models rolling off the line at Sharp's newest 8G LCD plant, and may be isolated to screens manufactured in September. The 42-inch LC-42D62U is based on older technology and seems to be unaffected. Still, if 2-million+ pixels, 2000:1 contrast ratio and 4ms response times are what move you, it can't hurt to go down to the store and have a look...just a look.